Under Your Wings
by TheDistantEarl
Summary: What happens when Ash finds himself at home for once? There's only ever one other creature that wanders along the dark halls. Servings as his comfort as well as a vessel for his hatred, Drocell always finds a new way to beckon Ash's demons from their shadows. An Ash x Drocell fanfic.
1. Coming Home

The warm golden glow of the candle was the only thing accompanying the puppet during his long work hours. Gloved hands moved gracefully back and forth as he pulled various colors of thread through royal blue velvet. There was so much to do before his master got home. Hours and hours had been dedicated to these creations for him. Black lace had been added, the near crimson and golden embroidery had been finished, even the hemming had been done, but that never seemed to be enough. He had to test the stitches various times, gentle hands pulling on the fabric to test the overall strength. There was simply no time for weakness, now was there?

Humming softly to himself, Drocell found himself in a near trance. Holding a focused gaze on the creation before him, the puppet smiled softly. He was proud of his work. It held up well, it looked exactly like the reference his master had given him, and it was finished on time. Taking the article of clothing into his hands, he folded it gently, carrying the item as if it was a sleeping child. Making his way out of the room, and into the main halls, Drocell started his journey. While he found comfort in working at his oak desk in such a small room, he could find himself at peace within the quiet halls. The detail work that his master had requested complimented the overall look. The inside of the manor was littered with tiny details. Everything from the ceiling to the carpets had some type of work done to it. No one would have ever been able to tell only one person kept up with it all. No one would be able to catch on to the violent mannerisms that occured within the walls. Not a single shard of glass, nor any sign of damage could be found throughout the whole house. The skill of masking things had surely been mastered. Not that it was hard for Drocell to catch anything out of place. He had spent far too much time in the manor to not notice something out of place.

Shaking his head softly, the doll turned the corner his steps stopped short by a sudden object. A sudden...person. Stumbling backwards, the doll managed to keep the clothing in his hands, though he managed to lose his hat, that was the least of his worries. His curious orbs met the sudden gaze of his master. He had arrived unexpected as usual, and without a single word. Just the expression along the usually stoic features had told him things had not gone too well with the Queen. His master looked exhausted, and highly angered. The way he moved to fix his jostled attire had told him enough. How could someone be so stiff, so cold, yet move with that much grace? Posture meant everything when it came to their interactions. Ash was not one to simply say what he wanted. He was a complicated being, a twisted creature that was far gone. Drocell wasn't exactly sure if he had ever possessed a decent amount of sanity. It certainly didn't feel like it.

"I see you finished it." The angel spoke out in a nearly chilling voice, violet orbs looking over the royal blue coat Drocell was currently holding. He had made a simple, swift motion with his hand, gesturing the puppet to come closer. Not even daring to cast his gaze off to his fallen hat, he stepped closer to his master, arms extending slightly to reveal his work. He was never sure how to act around the other. When was he to speak? When was he to move? The angel could get irritated in a matter of a few seconds. Relying only on guesses, Drocell couldn't help but feel his master enjoyed leaving his on edge constantly. He never knew what he was going to say, or what he was going to do. Attemping to let out a quiet sigh, the puppet stayed still as his master leaned forward, slipping his hand under the coat in his hands. "And you used the threads I instructed you to, correct?" The angel continued on as he passed the fabric through his hands, a sceptical gaze seemingly tearing apart every detail.

"Yes." The doll simply spoke out, keeping his gaze locked on the coat. A wave of nervousness washed over his as he watched his master look it all over. Had he done something wrong? Had he used the right thread? Had he sewn it all together with the right stitching? Was the material strong enough, comforable enough that his master would find it suitable? He could only hope so. He had figured everything was going well until he answered. That irritated expression had switched into a further stage of annoyance. Had he done something wrong? When it came to answering his master, the doll could only do so much. If he was to speak too much, the angel would snap at him, tell him how he didn't wish to hear some kind of story. At the same time, Ash could get irritated by the lack of an answer. If he was to answer with a single word at the wrong time, it could spell instant disaster. It wasn't something Drocell wished to go through at this moment in time. Oh no, not at all.

A slow, shaky huff pushed past his lips as he watched his master's cold gaze drag up from the fabric to him. "Did you sew with the correct stitches?" Ash spoke out as he rubbed his thumb over the embroidered crest. Not sure if he was supposed to take his gaze off his master or not, the doll simply spoke out once again, barely nodding his head. "Yes, master." There is was again, that irritated glance. It was as if the angel was debating between ripping the coat apart, or simply punishing him for misconduct. That's what his master had always deemed it as anyways. Watching as his master's hand slowly clenched the fabric, he could tell that he had stepped over the line. "Are you so dim witted that you cannot give me a proper response, puppet?" The angel took a step towards the startled doll. The look in his eyes spelled disaster. His master did not request a rebuttle, he did not have to to listen to excuses. It had been addressed that he had stepped over the line, and now it was time to face the fury that the angel possessed.

"You could have at least had the decency to apologize for your previous behavior. I will not allow you to continue such disrespect in my presence." Taking another step forward, that small, yet devious smile crept along the angel's lips. It was as if the angel enjoyed watching the doll change from uncomfortable to terrified. The spark in his eyes said it all. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could say. Stumbling back a bit, Drocell knew that there wasn't entirely a way out. He could avoid it for a few moments, but that was about it. "Do you not have anything to say? Not a single thing?" The fabric had slipped from the angel's hands, his gloved hands curled into fists as he continued to step closer. A mixture of amusment and sheer anger painted along his features.

"I apologize for my misconduct, it will not happen again." Drocell shrunk back slightly, his body jolting forward as he had backed himself into the wall. A single thud echoed through the halls as he scrambled to pull himself together. There was a rather long, drawn out silence between the two before Ash finally sighed. Staying silent, he simply took a few steps forward, slipping his gloved hand under Drocell's chin. Tilting the doll's head up slightly, he parted his lips to speak. "You are to conduct yourself properly Drocell, do you hear me? I will not stand for such behavior. You are to take this coat to my room and leave it on my bed. When you are finished return to my study. If you do not comply, you will be punished." With that the angel slipped the fabric into Drocell's arms. Turning on his heel, he left without a single word.


	2. On The Way Down

A look of confusion had quickly spread along the doll's features. Hadn't his master dropped the coat only moments ago? He was well aware that his master possessed some sort of divine power, but what was it that had brought the angel to use them at that particular moment? Usually such usage was properly justified. Had he really wanted to hurry off that quickly? Shaking his head softly, the doll quickly made his way down the halls. His master's bedroom wasn't too far off, it was just a few rooms down from his own, actually. Drocell had always assumed this was in case his master needed him. In times where the angel found himself angry, or in need of anything, Drocell was never far from hearing range. He was always capable and ready to serve his master.

Slowly, Drocell turned the polished golden handle of his master's bedroom door. Everything inside the room was either pure white or light purple. The room seemed so large, and it certainly was. Large double windows covered the left side of the room. Long sheer curtains hung at the sides of the windows. Currently they were closed, only gently swaying in the small breeze the outdoors had to offer. Stepping into the room, Drocell was quick to rest the article of clothing on his master's bed. Running a gloved hand over the deep blue fabric, he could only let out a sigh of relief. At least his master hadn't ripped the thing apart, right? Quickly making his way out of the oddly unsettling room, Drocell made his way towards the study. This room was unfortunately on the other side of the building. He couldn't imagine his master even being there yet. Consideration of his angelic abilities hadn't entirely been factored in either. Did such a thing allow him to move quicker than normal? He could only assume such, now could't he? It wasn't his place to ask anyways. It would just remain another mystery.

Softly clicking emitted from his wooden heels as he slowly made his way down the grand halls of the manor. Dealing with one such as his master was always complicated. He was working with insanity. The more he tried to understand his master, the more he seemed to change himself. It was as if every time he though he had it, he had nothing at all. In the end, it all just seemed to be a game. Perhaps it was, perhaps it wasn't. Shaking his head softly, the doll's glassy orbs trailed over the walls. He'd be able to check the time once he turned down the next hall. It seemed as though his master enjoyed having clocks around, for the manor had several of them. Perhaps his master was paranoid over the time? With his mind seemingly wandering around all the time, Drocell could understand how the angel lost track of the time. There was once a point in time where he had managed to lose track of the days. Once the Queen had given him free time, he seemed to slip further and further into a state of insanity. He shuddered at the thought. There was no need to dwell on that time. Oh no, not at all.

Adjusting his hat slightly, Drocell made a sharp turn to the left. Amethyst orbs scanned over the clock at the end of the hall. He still had time. When his master requested his arrival, he meant it in a very..complicated way. If he arrived too early it was assumed his work had been rushed. If he arrived too late it was assumed he had been slacking around. There was a balance that had to be kept. Even then, Ash's reactions to his timing varied constantly. He was a walking contradiction, oh yes he was.

Adjusting his attire here and there, the doll stayed silent, the click of his heels and his breathing being the only things to signal any warning to his arrival. It wasn't as if it was easy to startle his master anyways. He could only hope the creature had cooled down by now. He had given him a reasonable amount of time to take his odd anger out on whatever pottery he had passed on his way to the study. There was just one more turn before he'd arrive anyways. Whether he wanted to or not, Drocell was going to face his master. No matter what mood he was in, he had to do it. There was no choice. Slowing down his pace just a bit, Drocell turned once more to the left. The door was just a few feet away from him. The golden glow of the candle was visible under the crack of the door. Light seemed to crawl its way out from under the door, nearly beckoning the doll towards its glow. Inhaling softly, the doll closed his eyes for a few moments, exhaling slowly as he did such.

Knocking on the door softly, the doll spoke out, "Orders have been followed, you will find the attire resting on your bed when you return to your room." He was only met with prolonged silence after that. Was his master actually in there, or had this been a mistake? Just before Drocell was about to knock again, the door cracked open.

"You've done very well. Do come in, we have some things I'd like to discuss." Ash had been sitting in a chair at the far end of the room. With his legs ever so elegantly crossed, he seemed to be waiting for something. His expression was something odd, something he didn't understand. When the angel had last been seen he was cold, angry looking. That stoic expression he usually held was no more. There was something else, something Drocell could not put a word to. "Come on now, I don't have time for you to stand around." Beckoning the other forward with his finger once more, Ash leaned forward, his gaze following the other as he nervously seated himself. Raising a brow, Ash cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. Well as you already know, the Queen has started to get rising suspicions about the sudden disappearance of all these young girls." Ash trailed off for a moment, his gaze holding a harsher look to it. "You must stop being so predictable, I cannot allow you to get caught in your actions. You are to be here in my manor, not out and about with these petty tasks, do you understand? For the time being, consider your previous orders on halt. We shall resume the collection of dolls once her concern passes over. It should not take too long." Trailing off once again, the angel's gaze trailed off to the dimly lit bookshelf across the room. "Speaking of such things, we shall be having an inspection tonight. You remember those, don't you?"


End file.
